


Night Time Conversations

by Wanderlust14



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, Cats, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M!Dimileth, M/M, Original Characters in the last Chapter, Post Time Skip, implied sex, mentions of Sylvix
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:22:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23386558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wanderlust14/pseuds/Wanderlust14
Summary: 6 times Byleth and Dimitri shared a room.Chapter 1: Byleth can't fix all the broken pieces inside of Dimitri, but he can help care for the outside.Chapter 2: It takes more than one night to fix all the problems.Chapter 3: Dimitri isn't the only person who has nightmares.Chapter 4: Some nights, there are no nightmares.Chapter 5: Three months after the Coronations and there is only one place Dimitri would like to sleep.Chapter 6: Epilogue: Some nightmares are not complicated.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 43
Kudos: 180





	1. Chapter 1

“Have they always been?”

Byleth felt his heart break at those quiet words. There was a part of him that missed the time he felt no emotions. Usually, he enjoyed feeling things; amusement at Sylvain’s and Felix’s antics, comfort as he ate Mercedes’ baked treats, pride when his Lions’ succeed. But right now, he hated the discomfort in his chest and wished he could take all the pain away from the young man standing in front of him.

He knew he was a good professor, and had taught his students how to fight and defend themselves, but he could not think of a worse person to help Dimitri right now. Byleth was still learning how to be a human himself; he has spent more time as the Ashen Demon than a man, he did not know what to do. He looked at Dimitri’s exhausted eyes and slumped shoulders. Byleth tightened his grip on the Prince’s hands, settling on a course of action. He may not know how to help with the broken pieces inside, but he could help care for the broken pieces outside. “Come with me.” He quietly said and Dimitri passively followed him, clinging to him.

The rain was freezing and Byleth was relieved when they finally reached his room. He lit the small candle and regretted he had not done more to make his room cozier. He spent his early days as a traveling mercenary, so when he first arrived, he was thoroughly impressed that he had his own bed and a chair, but as he looked around now, he wished he had added more pillows, colors, light and soft things. This was all he had though, so it would have to do. 

He led Dimitri to the chair and after a moment, the man sat. Even in his armor and that large fur covered cape, he looked smaller than Byleth had ever seen him before, his eye half shut with exhaustion and rain water dripping on his face. Dimitri looked crushed by the weight of everything that had happened to him and Byleth felt overwhelmed, but he reminded himself to focus on the outside. He could handle that. 

Byleth found his softest towel and tried to warm it up a little bit, before returning to Dimitri. The man flinched and tensed when Byleth first touched his hair, but he slowly relaxed as Byleth began to gently work the towel over his head, drying the dirty stands. He wanted to take a pair of scissors and cut the worst of the knots from Dimitri’s hair, but he knew that would have to wait for another day.

Once he was satisfied, he crouched in front of Dimitri, “Your hands.”

Dimitri held them out and he removed the heavy gloves, hissing at what he saw. They were in poor shape; cracked, dirty, and rough from misuse and abuse. Dimitri never had soft hands, but they used to be well cared for. He warmed some water on the fire and gently began to clean them, healing small wounds he found, before rubbing in a skin cream to help with the cracks. It had to hurt, but Dimitri sat quietly and Byleth needed to do this while he had the chance. This had been a lesson he focused on with his students, caring for themselves and their bodies could be the different between living and dying in battle. Dimitri was lucky his body had not given out with the little care he showed it.

Once Byleth was done with his hands, he reached down and started to remove one of his boots. The man flinched away at that and finally spoke. “No.” Byleth looked up at him and after a breath, Dimitri continued in a soft pained voice that sounded near tears. “You are not my servant. I am not worth-”

Byleth cut off the statement by gently squeezing his arm, “No, I am not your servant, but I am your friend.”

Dimitri stared at him and eventually relented, moving his foot back. Byleth quickly removed the boots and socks and saw his feet were in worse shape than his hands. He fought down a sigh and started the process again, cleaning, healing, and rubbing them with skin cream. Once he was satisfied that the feet were starting to mend, he wrapped them in bandages and covered them in his warmest socks.

Dimitri did not object again as Byleth removed the rest of his heavy armor. He was covered in scars, bruises, and injuries both new and old. Byleth wanted to scream at the cruelty inflected on Dimitri’s body over the last five years, but he found down those emotions. He was here now and as long as he was allowed by Dimitri’s side, he would make sure nothing like this would happen again. 

Byleth cleaned him as gently, but as quickly as he could. The dirt would infect those wounds, but also, he was hurting Dimitri. Byleth never wanted to hurt him, but he had to remind himself this was necessary, a momentary discomfort for long term healing. The man did not make a sound, just sat quietly only moving when directed too. Once Byleth was satisfied he healed all the wounds he could find, he then dressed the Prince in the softest clothes he could find. 

After a moment hesitation, he removed the eye patch. He was not sure what he would find under there, but there was still an eye. It had obviously been badly injured and there was a moment Byleth wondered if he had been there, or Mercedes, or just anyone, could it had been saved, but it was too late. The eye had healed poorly and Dimitri would never see from it again. He knew he was being watched from the working eye and so he kept his features relaxed and just set the eye patch on his desk. At this point, he had a feeling fussing over it would do more harm than good. 

He took Dimitri’s hand again and led him to his bed. He hesitated, but Byleth gently encouraged him, lifting up the covers. Dimitri sighed, but actually got into bed and Byleth tucked him in. He gazed down at the one blue eye and brushed his hair out of his face. “Rest, Dimitri, you will be safe here.”

He went to get his sleeping roll, but Dimitri quickly grabbed his hand. “Don’t go.”

Byleth sat down on the bed and returned his hand to his hair, stroking those knotty locks. He leaned down and kissed Dimitri’s forehead. “I’ll be here, I promise.”

Dimitri nodded, but his face crumbled. He rolled onto his side as broken heavy sobs escaped him. Byleth wondered if he did something wrong, but he remembered his own time of grieving for his father. Dimitri needed to grieve and the tears would help. Byleth wrapped his arms around Dimitri as best he could and held his hand. Dimitri clung to him as his emotions overwhelmed him and Byleth knew there would be bruises, but he did not care. He wished there was something he could do to ease Dimitri’s burden, but he knew this was something Dimitri would have to struggle through. At the very least, he could make sure Dimitri did not struggle alone.

Byleth was not sure how long it took, but eventually he realized that Dimitri had fallen asleep. He looked down at his world-weary face and sighed. He doubted it, but he hoped Dimitri would be granted a peaceful slumber. He needed it. Byleth gave him another kiss on the forehead and then pulled away to set up his own bedroll. He had slept in worst places than his own warm, quiet room. He did not know if this would help, but at least he knew Dimitri was safe, warm, and cared for. It was a start.


	2. Chapter 2

Byleth was not sure how long it took him to realize that the knocking in his dream was actually knocking on his door. He slowly opened his eyes and groaned when he saw how dark it was, but after a breath, he got out of bed. He knew if someone was knocking at this hour, it was urgent. 

He opened the door and was surprised and alarmed to find Dimitri standing there. It was only two nights ago that he stopped Dimitri from heading to Enbarr and there was a part of Byleth that was afraid that he had regressed. It was hard to see him in the dark, but his shoulders were slumped. “Forgive me for waking you, Professor.” His voice was soft, hesitant and Byleth relaxed.

“I told you, you are always welcomed.” Byleth replied and motioned for Dimitri to enter. 

The Prince slunk in and Byleth lit a candle. Dimitri’s cheeks were flushed and he looked upset. He watched as Dimitri took a seat on his bed and sighed. “I apologize again for waking you. I…” He trailed off and Byleth sat down next to him. 

“Are you having issues sleeping?”

Dimitri nodded, his cheeks growing redder. “It is too quiet. When I have nightmares, I have trouble telling if I am awake or asleep.”

“Would you like to stay here?” Byleth asked gently. 

“Just on your bedroll for tonight. I don’t want to… impose on you any further than I already have.”

“Dimitri.” Byleth chastised.

“No, I know that you are my friend and I also know how fortunate I am to have such a friend.” Dimitri said, “But I don’t want to take advantage of your compassion. I need to learn to sleep alone again.”

“You do, but this is not the time to push yourself. We need you to be well and sleep is important. If you wish to stay with Dedue or one of the others after tonight, that is fine, but please don’t…suffer alone in the dark just because you feel like you must.” Byleth said, hating the imagine that appeared in his head. They could help Dimitri with his sleeping issues after the war, but the man needed to be well rested, and if that meant sleeping in Byleth’s room, he would gladly welcome Dimitri as his roommate. 

Dimitri looked surprise and gave him a tentative smile, “You do have a way with words. Very well, but I get the bedroll.”

“We will switch.”

“I can always go stay with Dedue.”

“And do you really think Dedue will let you sleep on the floor?”

“Touché, Sylvain?”

“Sylvain is already sharing his room with another.” It was Felix, but the wound from losing Lord Rodrigue was still too tender to mention him by name. 

Dimitri wrinkled his nose but did not press, probably assuming it was yet another girlfriend, “Ashe?”

“Again, do you really think Ashe will let you sleep on the floor? And just try it with Ingrid.”

Dimitri smiled; his spirits obviously lifted. “Very well, I thank you for your generosity.” He said with a bow only a noble could perform while sitting. He straightened up and sobered as well. “Really, thank you Professor.”

“I told you, you were always welcomed here.”

“I know. I hope one day, I can be as good a friend to you as you have been to me.”

“Dimitri, you have been one of my dearest friends for a long time.” Byleth said, getting the bedroll down. Truthfully, Dimitri was not just his dearest friend, but one of his very first.

“I did not act like a friend to you.” The Prince said quietly. 

“You have not been well. I do not hold it against you.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why don’t you…why didn’t you...give up on me when I was lashing out at you.” 

“Give up on you?” Byleth asked puzzled.

Dimitri huffed, “I see the thought never even crossed your mind. Which I admit, is a comfort, but you deserved better than how I treated you.”

“Again, you were sick. Your mind was poisoned after the Tragedy and never properly healed.” Byleth said. He wished he had figured it out sooner, understood Felix’s warnings, but he, like all the adults in Dimitri’s life, failed to understand how the Tragedy impacted him. They had failed him and the Prince had paid the price. “If it makes you feel any better, I would not have tolerated the verbal abuse forever. Perhaps if I did not see signs that my Dimitri was still there, things might have been different, but I did, so I never thought of giving up.”

“There were signs?”

“You probably don’t remember, but it was during one of the battles with the Empire, I think our first. The General charged me and I remember you calling out, ‘Professor watch out.’” 

“That was the sign?” Dimitri asked, sounding distressed.

“Yes, it was the first moment you cared more about one of your friends than about killing everyone.” Byleth smiled, “It was a brief moment, but it was enough and it was not the only one.”

Dimitri closed his eyes and nodded. Byleth looked at him and then leaned in, “Dimitri, you once promised that you would fight by my side until the end. Such a promise goes both ways.”

Byleth actually had no intention of holding the Prince to such a promise. He knew the young man had not been well when he made it and truthfully, Dimitri may have been eighteen when he said that, but Byleth had still seen him as a youth. Those words meant something to Byleth though, he had taken comfort in them when he was grieving and feeling very alone in the world. He wanted to do the same for Dimitri. 

Dimitri’s face crumbled at that and Byleth wrapped his arms around him. “Why do I keep crying around you?”

“Emotions are hard and after not using them for a while, they can be even harder.” Byleth said gently, “I am sure you will get used to them soon enough.” 

“Thank you.”

Byleth was quiet for a moment, “You taught me my emotions. I am just returning the favor.”

“Really?”

“You forget that when I was a mercenary, I was called the Ashen Demon. I killed without emotion and people did not think I was human. It wasn’t until I came here and started to spend time with you that I began to really feel.” It was all his Lions that taught him how to feel, but he knew Dimitri was one of the driving forces. 

Dimitri was quiet and then said with conviction, “You are not a demon and I am not a beast.”

“Yes, we are people.” Byleth said relieved by those simple words.

Dimitri nodded and Byleth continued to hold him through the tears. He still was not sure if he was doing the right thing, but if what Dimitri needed was a hug and someone nearby, he could do that. He put his head on Dimitri’s shoulder and closed his eyes, he could do that for as long as he needed him too. 

Byleth did not realize he fell asleep until he woke the next morning under the covers with Dimitri curled up in his bedroll.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a headcanon that while they don't have the concept of PTSD, that among the Mercenaries they have a concept called Battle Poisoning which is basically the same thing. Byleth did not realize Dimitri had what he considered a Merc disease until it was too late. That is what Byleth is referring to when he says he was poisoned by the Tragedy of Duscur.


	3. Chapter 3

Byleth cried out with horror as the lance gutted Sylvain, causing him to fall from his horse. He ran to the man, forgetting about the battle and everything that was happening. His face was pale and twisted in agony. Sylvain looked up and screamed at him, “Why? Why did you send me?”

He tried to use a Divine Pulse, but he was all out. “No, no, you will be alright.”

“Professor, I trusted you.” He gasped out. “You were supposed to protect us.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Professor!” He cried out reaching for Byleth.

Byleth woke up and stared into the darkness, his eyes still wet. It was just a dream. Sylvain was fine, probably sleeping peacefully in his room. A few days ago, Sylvain had dodged the attack and had easily cut down his enemy, as he was trained to do. Byleth had not made a mistake. 

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to fight down the swirl of emotions. He hated sending his beloved Lions out into battle, deciding their course of actions, putting them in danger. He wanted them to be safe and living their lives, but he knew they had too. None of them would sit out when they had to defeat the Empire and he admired their courage. He just had to be strong enough to trust them.

“I did not realize you had nightmares as well.”

Byleth looked up to his bed where Dimitri had been sleeping. He sighed, “I did not mean to wake you.”

“I know.” Dimitri got up and sat down next to Byleth. “What is bothering you?”

Byleth wanted to tell him to forget it, but since Dimitri had frequently talked through his nightmares, it would be unfair to avoid the question. “Death.” He said without thinking and immediately regretted it.

“It haunts you too?” Dimitri asked with a shaky voice.

“No, not like that, forgive me.” Byleth said, sitting up and squeezing Dimitri’s arm, though that was not completely true. He had nightmares about his student’s deaths, but this was not the right time to bring that up. “No, it isn’t the deaths that have happened, but about my actions causing the death of one of you, Sylvain in this case.”

“Sylvain is fine and you are the best tactician I know. You have guided us well.” Dimitri said relaxing, putting an arm around Byleth as he stroked his hair, mimicking what Byleth had done for him during his nightmares. 

“I am human, I can still make a mistake.” He said quietly, enjoying the feeling of Dimitri’s fingers running through his hair. He could not imagine the last time someone had done this for him, probably his father when he was a small child.

“I know.” Dimitri said, “And no one is asking for perfection. We do our training so we survive on the battlefield. You have done an amazing job and the fact all of us have made it this far is due in no small part to what you taught us at the academy and the work you still put in now.” 

Byleth smiled slightly. He was grateful for the encouraging words, but he knew these nightmares would only go away once this war was over and his beloved Lions had made it through. They all needed this war to end as soon as possible. “Thank you.”

“Even in the dark, I can still see your doubts, but I know you will succeed. I have faith in you.” Dimitri said, smiling back, “But lay back down, I have an idea.”

Byleth did as he was asked and watched as Dimitri grabbed a pillow and his large cape. Then he laid down next to him and draped the cape over both of them. Byleth was not sure what Dimitri was doing, but trusted him and shifted over so the Prince could get part of the bedroll. Dimitri settled an arm over Byleth as he cuddled closer and Byleth relaxed against him. He knew there were people who would think it was crazy that he felt comfortable lying next to Dimitri like this. Dimitri could lift a cart or crush a man’s skull with his bare hands and he had been sick for a while, but there was no place that Byleth felt safer. He trusted him. 

“Sylvain, Felix, Ingrid and I used to have slumber parties when we were children. We would all sleep on the floor with blankets and pillows. It was a lot of fun. We would play, make up games, tell ghost stories until Felix cried.” Dimitri explained.

“Poor Felix.” Byleth said, but he was a bit jealous of the memory. When he was little, he rarely saw other children, but he wished he had friends like that, someone to play with besides his father. It had been a lonely childhood. 

“Poor Felix? He was the one who wanted the ghost stories until they were actually scary.”

“From the stories I’ve heard, that sounds right.” Byleth said with a huff of amusement.

Dimitri went quiet and Byleth put a hand on his, threading their fingers together. “I…hadn’t thought about that for a while, but those are good memories. When the war is over, we will have to make more.”

“I am sure we will.” Byleth said softly.

“Of course, this time we will have to include you, Dedue, and everyone else.” He could feel Dimitri relax and cuddle closer, “We will have another class reunion, a real one that is actually fun.”

Byleth nodded and pulled the cape closer, finally stroking the soft furs that had always tempted him, “That is a promise.”

It was warm enough in the room, but Byleth appreciated having the cape, less because he needed it and more because he loved it. Byleth actually hated the cape at first because it felt like a wall blocking him from Dimitri, but once the Prince finally let him in, he started to see the cape for it was, the one source of comfort Dimitri had. It helped that, even after being thoroughly cleaned, it still smelled like Dimitri which was as comforting as the solid arm still wrapped around his waist. He would remember that the next time Dimitri had a nightmare. 

“Yes, it is and we will all do our best to be there.” 

He could feel Dimitri start to fall asleep and he closed his eyes as well, comfortable and warm. One of them should move to the bed, it was silly not too. “Good night, Dimitri.” He said, instead of getting up.

“Sweet Dreams, Professor.”

***

“Dimitri?”

“Yes?”

“If I promise to get a cot, can our next slumber party not be on the ground, five centimeters from a perfectly good bed?”

“Deal.”


	4. Chapter 4

Byleth fought down a smiled when he walked into his room and saw the cot was closer to the bed. He had not commented on it, but the cot shifted, as if by magic, a little closer to the bed each night, but just as long as he was not in the room and Dimitri was. Dimitri was already settled in bed, reading a book. They had an agreement that Dimitri would get a full eight hours, but that Byleth had to go to sleep at the same time too. He knew he worked too much, he got enough comments from his former students, but he had to admit, he was feeling better since they came to this agreement. It helped that Dimitri had taken over some of the work that Byleth had been covering for him. 

“I was wondering if I was going to have to go get you.” Dimitri said, putting down his book. 

Byleth shook his head as he pulled off his boots. “No, Seteth came by and we were just chatting.”

Dimitri looked surprised for a moment and then smiled, “I forget Seteth was never your professor.”

“No, worse, he used to be my boss.” Byleth joked, as he undressed. “But really, once you get to know him, Seteth is a good man and a very good storyteller.”

He felt Dimitri’s eye on him for a brief moment as he changed and he took a breath to fight down the arousal that came with it. It did not happen often, but it was also not the first time he felt an eye on him. Dimitri’s gaze would never linger, but the way he carefully avoided Byleth told him as much as if it had. 

Byleth reminded himself about all the reasons he would not make a move. Dimitri had improved tremendously, but he was still vulnerable and it had been less than three months since Lord Rodrigue’s death. It was too soon for such thoughts about the other man, especially a man who was going to be King and therefore would need a Queen. He focused on that. He knew Dimitri cared for him, but the Kingdom would need heirs for a stable future. 

“Really? I would not have expected that. That he was good with stories, that is.” Dimitri said clearing his throat. 

“I figured as much, but he actually writes. I think a few of his books are in the library.” Byleth said turning around and admiring the view before him. He liked seeing Dimitri lounging in his room, comfortable enough to even remove his eye patch and get into bed. It felt very homey, as if this was a proper house instead of just a dorm room. It helped Byleth had started to actually decorate the place, adding an extra chair, pillows, blankets, and some cut flowers every few days. 

“How was the rest of your day?” Dimitri asked. 

“Not bad, mostly paperwork and those endless meetings, but I took some time to train with Felix.”

“How is he doing?”

“He is sad, though, he doesn’t want to admit that he is sad.” Byleth sighed, “But he is doing better than I expected.”

“Do you think if I spoke to him, it would help?”

“Not really.” Byleth admitted. “He is coming to terms with what happened and it is… complicated.”

As far Byleth could tell, Dimitri did not understand the tension between Lord Rodrigue and Felix or how much of that tension came from the way Lord Rodrigue treated him versus Felix. He knew hearing Dimitri praise his father would hurt Felix far more than it would help. Dimitri nodded and Byleth squeezed his hand. Things were improving between them, even if Felix was being very Felix-y about it. Byleth had no doubt that one day, their friendship would truly be fixed. 

Dimitri smiled and Byleth finished getting ready for bed, “How was your day?”

“Mostly meetings and paperwork.” They were actually in most of the same meetings, but Dimitri had to attend a few extras as they figured out how to rebuild the Kingdom. “It was good though, I felt very productive.”

“You are extremely productive, sometimes I think you work too hard.”

“You work just as hard Professor.”

Byleth smiled and attempted to settle on the cot, except a cat had claimed it. He had not noticed it earlier so it must have snuck in when he entered. He gently lifted it up, which earned him a plaintive mew. “Excuse me, Sir Cat.”

“You know, if you didn’t feed them, they wouldn’t always be sneaking into your room.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Byleth said, as the cat indignantly jumped up on his chair and curled up. 

“It is when they steal your keys.”

“That only happened once.” He said, preferring to put that nonsense from his head. 

The cot was pressed up against the bed, but was shorter than it by several centimeters. It was expensive, but comfortable and with his bedroll, he found it almost as good as his real bed. He sighed as he settled in and looked up as Dimitri peered over the side of the bed. “You should have gotten a taller cot.”

“Oh?”

“…We would be able to push them together and… get more space.” Dimitri eventually replied.

Byleth snorted, “I can see one of us rolling over in the middle of the night and falling through the middle.”

Dimitri rolled his eyes, “I can put something at the base of the cot so it doesn’t move. Or shift the cot is against the wall.”

“Yes, but I just got this cot; it is a good one too.”

“I am sure you could find a new owner for this one. There are plenty of people coming to the monastery and I can help you find a better one.”

Byleth rolled his eyes but was smiling as well. “Let’s discuss this in the morning.”

“Come now, Professor.”

“Good night, Dimitri.”

“Good night Professor.” Dimitri said innocent as a hand suddenly appeared from the side of the bed and landed in his face. He grabbed his pillow and smacked the Prince, making him laugh. He retaliated with his own pillow and for the next several minutes they fought. It was pure silliness, but Byleth loved seeing Dimitri act like the young man he was. He always enjoyed getting the chance to see Dimitri’s playful side, even if it rarely emerged. Even back during the academy days, Byleth usually only got to see hints of it when the Prince was interacting with his friends. It was only towards the end that Dimitri started to feel confident enough to tease him, which was usually followed by an apology for forgetting himself. Byleth had never minded the friendly ribbing. 

Eventually the conflict ended by Dimitri grabbing him into a bear hug. “That’s cheating.” Byleth cried out with a laugh, putting up a superficial struggle. 

“You are the one who taught us to always use our advantages.” Dimitri said letting him go. “But you see, that just proves my point, we need a taller cot if you are going to attack me for my hand innocently moving out of the bed.”

Byleth looked at him with his hopeful eyes and fought down a smile. He could never say no to Dimitri, “Very well, if you can find us a cot that will work, we can switch them.”

Dimitri grinned triumphantly, “It won’t be too hard, I am sure of it.”

“Now we both need to go to bed.” Byleth said climbing back into cot with as much dignity as one could muster after having been bested in a pillow fight. 

“Alright.” Dimitri said falling back into bed. The hand reappeared, but this time, it took his own. “Good night Byleth.”

He squeezed Dimitri’s hand as the cat jumped up and settled down next to him, “Sweet dreams, Dimitri.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About the keys: there is fe3h drama cd where Byleth's keys are missing the three Lords go and find them it. Turns out a cat stole them thinking they were a toy.  
> Edit: Link to a transcript of the drama cd is now in the comments.


	5. Chapter 5

Byleth heard a knock at the door and should not have been surprised. It had been three months since their joint coronation and it was the end of the first day of King Dimitri’s first official visit to Garreg Mach. Even though they wrote to each other frequently, he had missed Dimitri terribly. He was embarrassed by how much he missed Dimitri. He missed their discussions as they debated plans and decisions, sleeping in the same room as him, hearing his steady breathe and soft snores, and just having him by his side. It shocked him just how much he missed Dimitri and how eager he was to see him again.

Of course, when they first met, it was warm, but subdued. He could not pounce on the King, but as his eyes met Dimitri’s he could see the same warm longing there. It had been a form of torture sitting through all the welcoming ceremonies when all he wanted was a few minutes alone, to be Byleth and Dimitri instead of Your Grace and Your Majesty, but at least Dimitri was there and they would get some private time tomorrow in between meetings. 

He opened the door and Dimitri slipped in. Immediately, Dimitri lifted him into a tight hug, spinning him around. “Dimitri!” Byleth cried out with a laugh, wrapping his arms around the King. This was the greeting he had wanted and it was a relief to hold him close. 

He grinned at Byleth with that boyish smile that made him look his age. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Byleth said as he led Dimitri further into his bedroom. It had been Lady Rhea’s old room and while he felt a little weird staying there, Seteth had insisted the Archbishop could not continue to bunk in the student dorms. The room had been redecorated for him, simple, but with quality and he hoped it would soon feel like home. “Did you have any issues getting here?”

“No, it was actually rather easy to sneak in here.” Dimitri gave him a look, “You are going to need to talk to security about that.”

“Dimitri.”

“You may be a great warrior, but no one can stop a blade in their sleep.”

He sighed, “Very well, I will speak to Seteth in the morning.”

“Good.” Dimitri said as he sat on the bed and removed his shoes.

Byleth smiled and settled back into bed as Dimitri continued to change into sleepwear. “Was your room not to your liking?”

“No, it was missing the Archbishop.” Dimitri said, making Byleth snort with amusement.

“Well, we will correct that for tomorrow.”

“Good.” Dimitri crawled into bed and sighed, “This is far nicer than your old bed.”

“Apparently being the Archbishop and not the newest professor gets you a nice bed.” There was plenty of room for two, but they still curled up together and Byleth felt himself relax. 

He really did sleep better when Dimitri was nearby and he cuddled closer. He breathed in and wanted to laugh at himself. He had not realized he even missed his scent. 

“Byleth?” Dimitri asked suddenly. 

“Yes?”

“I…” He heard him swallow, “Never mind, Good night.”

“What did you want to say?” Byleth said, looking at him.

“I-it was nothing, just a bit of silliness.”

Byleth did not believe him. He knew Dimitri well enough to know that something was on his mind. He tried a different tact, “Dimitri, you know you can tell me anything. What did you want?”

“A kiss.” A soft, nervous voice replied.

Byleth was surprised by the request and his heart skipped a beat. He should say no, he knew that. Dimitri had to get married to a Queen.

Instead, he cupped Dimitri’s face. He leaned in and kissed his King’s forehead and then his cheek, making the other man’s breath hitch. Finally, he pressed a gentle kiss to Dimitri’s lips; once and then twice. The soft kisses burned through him and he allowed himself to forget all the reasons why they should not be kissing. Instead, he focused on Dimitri’s touch, his taste, the feel of him as they pressed closer. The kisses turned desperate as all the time they waited caught up to them and it consumed them. 

***

Byleth’s breath slowed as he listened to Dimitri’s heartbeat, the King’s arms wrapped firmly around him. The quiet thump was a soothing sound. Dimitri’s chest hair tickled his cheek and he could not help but to tease it gently. In the light, it was hard to see, as blond and fine as the hair on his head, but it was there. Dimitri tightened his arms around him and Byleth felt a kiss pressed into his hair. He did not know what the morning would bring, but for tonight, Dimitri was in his arms and that was enough. 

Apparently, Dimitri had other plans though. “I need to talk to you.”

“Oh?”

“About…my future.”

“I…understand.” Byleth said sitting up, pulling away, though Dimitri resisted letting him go for a moment. 

He knew this conversation was coming and he hated it. He hated the fact that Dimitri needed a Queen to secure the future of the Kingdom, but no matter how much his heart broke, he would not stand in the way of what Dimitri and Fodlan needed. Of course, he had been hoping they could at least pretend for the rest of the night, but Dimitri was someone who liked to face problems head on. “Please, I know you will have comments, but just…let me get everything out first.”

“Of course.”

“I have decided not to take a Queen.”

“What?” Byleth asked with shock, breaking his promise immediately. “What will you do then?”

“I have been in talks with a young lady about taking the role the Prince’s or Princess’ Mother. She is from House Gautier, Sylvain’s younger cousin and she is not opposed to the idea.”

“And she does not want to be Queen?” Byleth had never heard of such a role before. 

“No, she is a woman lover and quite frankly, does not want to be with any man.” Dimitri said, “But she does want children and is getting a lot of pressure from her family to get over this whole woman lover thing. I am offering her a contract to come to Fhirdiad, to try for two children with me, who I will adopt. In exchange, she will get to swear an oath to never be with any man, to remain unmarried until the birth of our final child, and she will get a sum each month. She will be involved with raising them, but she won’t actually be part of the royal family.”

“How will you two have children?”

Dimitri cleared his throat, “There are ways for us to have children that does not involved sex. It is just going to be complicated and…embarrassing.”

Byleth fought down a small laugh, “You are thinking a baster, aren’t you?”

“Well, yes. I know not everyone will approve this arrangement and may not consider those children legitimate heirs, but she will be free to be with the woman she loves and protected from the pressure of her parents and I will be as well.” Dimitri said, looking at Byleth. “It is not even the first time this has happened, my Great-Great-Great Grandfather had a Prince Consort instead of Queen and had a similar arrangement.”

“Your Great-something-grandfather had a more stable Kingdom and was not trying to unify all of Fodlan.” Byleth pointed out, “I have no doubt the Kingdom will accept you, but the former Alliance and Empire territory is a different matter.”

“Ah, but you see, I have been working on it.”

“Oh?”

“Well,” Byleth could hear the embarrassment in Dimitri’s voice, “I spoke to Yuri.”

“That must have been an interesting conversation.”

“It was an…awfully…long conversation, but he has started a whisper campaign for me, to help convince people to support this unusual arrangement.”

“You got Yuri to help you?”

“I owe him a favor, but he agreed that you have to approve the favor he eventually requests.”

Byleth nodded, but he trusted Yuri. The man may run a gang, but he also knew Yuri just wanted to improve things for the poor. He had would bet the favor would be related to that. “And what does this whisper campaign say?”

Dimitri was quiet for a moment and then said, “The whispers are that I have fallen in love with a kind and honorable man and I am refusing any other hand because I want him to be my Prince Consort. The man in question has been pining for me as well, but that he is hesitant because he loves Fodlan and wants to make the best decision for everyone.”

“Oh Dimitri.” He said both touched by Dimitri’s words and slightly mortified by the pining part. Byleth had a feeling Yuri was fed up with him. 

“I know and I am very sorry for assuming your feelings, but that was the best story we could come up with for convincing people to accept a possible union.” Dimitri hesitated and then added, “But, I love you. I have been in love with you for years. There is no one else I wish to spend the rest of my life with, no one else I could imagine sharing my nights with.” 

Byleth reached up and stroked his cheek, “I love you too.”

It was probably the truest words he had ever spoken. He loved Dimitri. He heard Dimitri sigh, “Then, will you marry me?”

Byleth hesitated for a moment, “I don’t want to be the reason Fodlan is thrown into chaos again, but if you are sure that these whispers will work, of course, I will marry you.”

Dimitri laughed and pulled Byleth into a crushing hug. “Oh, they are working, far too well if you ask me.”

“Really? I have not heard a thing.” Though it would explain some of the looks he had been receiving recently.

“Garreg Mach has not been the focus, but Dorothea, Constance, Ferdinand, Lorenz, and Hilda have taken up the cause for us, perhaps a little too eagerly.” 

“Oh no.”

“You should see the letters I have gotten, mostly from nobles determined to gain favor from me, writing in support of our marriage and offering up children to be my heir. You are a bit secluded here, but everyone is ready for a royal wedding.” Dimitri suddenly laughed at himself, “I have a ring for you, but I was not intending to propose like this.”

“Hmm, we will need to figure out a less scandalous story for our proposal.” Byleth then remembered his mother’s ring and moved to get out of bed. “But I do have something that would work for now.” 

Byleth lit a candle and hurried to his jewelry case. Dimitri followed and immediately wrapped his arms around him, which he appreciated. Dimitri was very warm and the air was cool against his skin. He did not have many pieces and so it was easy to find the small ring. “It was my mother’s. My father said I should give it to the person I love.”

Dimitri kissed his head, “I don’t know what to say.” 

He took the ring and attempted to put it on, but the ring was meant for a small woman and did not fit, even his pinky. Byleth considered that for a moment and then found a silver chain. He slipped the ring on that and gave it back to Dimitri who put it on. The ring was very feminine but it looked perfect on him. 

“I love you.” Byleth said before kissing him.

“I love you too.” Dimitri said between kisses and then lifted Byleth up and carried him back to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you were wondering, yes, Yuri was absolutely fed up with Byleth's pining which is how that got included in the whispers.


	6. Chapter 6

He woke with a groan as he felt something crawl over him. He opened his eyes and saw that Lambert had snuck into their bed and was settling down in the small space between him and Dimitri, pushing them apart. Lamb had the major crest of Blaiddyd and even at his young age, was already stronger than him and as strong as Dimitri. He glanced out the window and saw it was still dark. “Lamb, what’s wrong?" 

“I had a nightmare.” Lamb said in a small voice.

“Oh Lamb.” Byleth said, pulling the boy into a hug. 

The boy snuggled against him and he rubbed his back. Lamb was very sensitive, gentle and sweet. He could see Dimitri in his thoughtful and compassionate nature, not to mention his soft blond hair and bright blue eyes. It made him want to protect his little Lamb with all of his being, especially knowing the challenges that awaited the boy as the Crowned Prince. Fodlan had accepted him, quite happily too when they learned he had the Crest of Blaiddyd and all talks of the King’s unusual family was quieted. The reasoning went that since Dimitri’s first child had a major crest and the line of succession was as secure as it could be, his decision to take the Archbishop and not a proper Queen as his spouse had obviously been blessed by the Goddess. Byleth found the concept deeply distasteful. “What was it about?”

“A wolf was coming to eat me.” 

The boy had developed a fear of wolf monsters after seeing one a month ago. Byleth stroked the boy’s hair and whispered to him, “You are safe here, no wolf is getting in the castle and if he does, he will have to deal with Daddy and me.” Not to mention their numerous guards and knights.

“But I don’t want the wolf to eat you.”

“No wolf is going to eat me anytime soon; I promise you that.” He said firmly. It helped that as the Archbishop, he was not in the business of killing monsters anymore. He did some fighting up until the birth of Lamb but he decided to step back then, much to Seteth’s delight. He never wanted Lamb to go through the same thing Dimitri did. 

“And Daddy and Mommy and Momma?” 

“No wolf will get any of them either.” He whispered, kissing Lamb’s cheek, making him smile. “Now get some sleep, sweetheart. I love you.”

“Good night, Papa. I love you too.”

He thought the boy was going to settle when he heard the door creak open. He looked up and there the younger Blaiddyd boy, Charles. “Me too!” He called out as he ran to the bed, “Me too!” 

“It seems there was a jailbreak.” Dimitri said with a groan as Charles crawled over him to join his brother in the space between Byleth and Dimitri. 

Byleth smirked, knowing that this would not be such a regular occurrence if Brigitte and Dimitri did not encourage the behavior. The boys had favored Brigitte’s and Adrienne’s room before, but now that Brigitte was sleeping poorly due to being heavily pregnant with the third Blaiddyd child, they had taken to crawling into bed with their fathers. The original agreement had been just two, but Brigitte asked if they could have one more, and Dimitri and Byleth had agreed. It really told Byleth how much Dimitri adored his children because he hated the impregnating part. He did well enough with masturbating into a bowl, especially if Byleth was there to help him, but Dimitri could never look Brigitte or Adrienne in the eye for a few days after giving it to them. 

“And why are you out of bed?” Byleth asked Charles, stroking his hair as the boy snuggled into Dimitri’s arms. 

Charles was outgoing and extremely bright. He had gotten the Gautier intelligence, though Byleth hoped he took after his mother and actually showed an interest in his studies unlike Uncle Sylvain. Lamb and Charles got on fairly well, much to Dimitri’s joy and relief. Dimitri had wanted two children, but Byleth knew there was a part of him that was afraid the relationship was going to turn out like Sylvain’s and Miklan’s or even the senior Lambert’s and Rufus’s. He remembered how happy Dimitri was the first time he walked into the nursery and saw the two boys playing nicely together. Byleth did not know if they would always remain close, but he had hope that Lamb and Charles would be able to support each other in the future. 

“I was alone.” A pout was heavy in Charles’s voice and made Byleth smile and give him a kiss on his head. 

None of the Blaiddyd boys enjoyed sleeping alone, though Dimitri could if he had too. Byleth shook his head, “Just for tonight, both of you.”

He had probably said that line twenty times in the last month. Three “yes papa’s” came back, which earned Dimitri a dirty look from him, but he did not believe any of them. The truth was as much as he liked to tease Dimitri about being wrapped around their little fingers, he was just as bad. 

They felt something else jump up on the bed and Dimitri sighed, “You know, before you moved here, the palace mousers didn’t used to sneak in my bedroom.”

“You say that like it is a good thing.” Byleth replied as he gave the cat a quick scratch before it settled against his back. 

He watched as Dimitri gave both boys a kiss good night and he quietly thanked Sothis for helping him reach this point. As both boys settled down, Dimitri looked at him and smiled. Ten years ago, he could never have imagined that such a future waited for them and he knew Dimitri would never have dreamed it either. Byleth shifted as close to his husband as he could with two boys between them. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Dimitri replied before giving him a gentle kiss. 

Byleth closed his eyes and fell back asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you are wondering: Adrienne is one of Ingrid's Pegasus knights who met Brigette while acting as her body guard and fell in love.
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to read this, kudos, and especially commented! I really appreciated all the support and I am glad you enjoyed it. Special shout out to Writingismycoffee, Comixwriter, and Dragonsigma.


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